A survey of Florida Medicaid sought to examine whether the type of financial incentive influenced how likely children would be to engage in healthy behaviors. The survey asked whether respondents’ children would engage in specific behaviors for a given reward. Respondents were randomized to hear different reward types when the question was asked: either over-the-counter pharmacy products, health care costs not covered by Medicaid, or, in one case, a sports program. See the table below, which shows the Percent of Respondents Reporting Their Child, Would Be “Very Likely” to Engage in Healthy Behavior Given Different Types of Rewards:

Amount of Reward

Enrolling in Exercise Class

Not Missing Any Primary Care Appointments

Annual Well Child Visit

Annual Dentist Visit

Over-the-Counter
Pharmacy Products

55.3

66.7

81.0

82.3

Health Care Costs
Not Covered by
Medicaid

59.3

62.3

76.8

82.3

Payment for a
Sports Program

68.7

n/a

n/a

n/a

Respondents showed no consistent preference between rewards in the form of over-the-counter pharmacy products and payment of health care costs not covered by Medicaid. More respondents reported their child would enroll in an exercise program when the reward was payment for the sports program. This sentiment was echoed in focus groups: “I think it would work better if it went toward the program you want me to sign my kid up for” and “I’m overweight and if I could get Medicaid to pay for me to go to a gym or something I’d do it.”